There’s a better vibe for travel this week A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
The Global Travel Taskforce’s report may at first have disappointed but it provides a controlled framework for travel’s restart. As agency boss Miles Morgan told his clients on a video message: “This is really, really good news for a summer of travel.” Yes, there are frustrations that the restart will be restricted initially to just a few countries and that it will be another few weeks until we find out which those are (page 4).
It is also a concern that, even for a fully-vaccinated person to travel
to a ‘green’ destination, a PCR test will be required on return to the UK. At £120 per person, that would add £480 to the cost of a holiday for a family of four (page 4). But the government said it was committed to driving this cost down to more palatable levels, and its Global Travel
Taskforce also promised regular reviews of the ‘traffic light’ lists, meaning there should be a progressive reopening as we move into summer. Morgan stuck his neck out and predicted parts of the Caribbean, Portugal and Malta would
be ‘green’ from May 17 – the date the government still hopes to lift its ban on international travel. And he tipped Greece to be added in May or June, followed by Spain in June or July, with “pretty much all of Europe open by the peak of summer, and the rest of the world by the autumn”. Of course, there are still significant hurdles to overcome. But with travel agencies reopening
across England and Wales this week too – and, as we report, consumers coming in and making bookings (page 7) – there’s a wholly more positive vibe across the sector. Let’s hope it continues.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS
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T ravel Weekly’s
NEWS Green list ‘will exclude most of Europe’ 4 Pressure mounts for PCR costs to be cut 4 Leaders expect ‘soft’ restart after report 5 RCNs to be extended; cashflow warning 6 ‘Manic’ reopening day; ‘trusts for Atols’ 7 Sales reps cautious; John Hays bench 8 Comment Oliver Broad: Exciting times ahead
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NEWS YOU CAN USE Product Travelport, BA, Silversea,
Jet2.com Just Go!, Scenic, HF, Railbookers
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OQuizzed Jet2holidays’ Steve Heapy, just hours after the release of the taskforce report, about his decision to delay the operator’s restart date to June.
OWas joined by dnata’s John Bevan, Blue Bay Travel’s Alistair Rowland and Haslemere Travel’s Gemma Antrobus to discuss traffic lights, the green ‘watchlist’, PCR tests and more.
OTook my kids litter- picking on a road near us – we filled five big bin liners.
competitions
Win trips to Morocco, Turkey, Greece 25 Get Social Taskforce, Hays, Biblio, certification 27
DESTINATIONS Hotels, resorts & spas Spas with a View: Your guide to six properties that combine top treatments with stunning vistas
13 15
Virgin Voyages, NCL, Viking, Riviera 16 P&O, Windstar, Emerald, Great Rail 18
THE QUEEN’S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE:
INTERNATIONAL TRADE 2020
FRONTLINE Your Stories Adam Silgram-Franks on setting up Sashay Away 20
agent diary Mark Swords: No to summer confusion 21
FOLLOW US:
travelweekly.co.uk @travelweekly
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Greece: Q&A with Periklis Gompakis of top-end chain MarBella Collection 32 Croatia & the balkans
Switch-selling: Suggest these hotspots to clients seeking close-to-home European alternatives 34
BUSINESS NEWS Global Travel Taskforce Report Travellers will need Covid certification 38 Government insists on costly PCR tests 38 Framework for overseas travel restart 39 Holland-Kaye: Report is a good start 40
travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 15 APRIL 2021 3
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